Parley
by Lyaksandra
Summary: Max is reaching the end of her rope. Victoria is relentless in her harassment. Something had to give, so, negotiations take place. Warning: Slightly non-con.


**PARLEY**

Despite everything I had learned these past few days, I still had walked toward my dorm room even though Victoria was right outside hers. Like a total idiot.

The door handle was creaking in my hand. That I might tear it off with how hard I was holding it did cross my mind fleetingly, but at the moment I was more preoccupied with listening to Victoria's veiled insults. Why was she still able to get under my skin? I was supposed to be used to her bullshit by now. At least I had assumed I was. Apparently I did not know myself as well as I liked to think.

"… you'd do well not to hang out with people who were expelled, not to mention that dress like homeless men. I'm telling you because I care about you, Max. And well, if your reputation is damaged, then the entire student body's reputation is damaged."

I barely heard anything after she made reference to Chloe. Even the disdainful tone in her voice when she said my name flew over my head. Never before in my life had I felt anything like I felt in that moment. Later, I would reason it as being stressed to the breaking point. Same reason she had managed to get under my skin at all that day. Although, given what I did next, I really could not say how much of my reasoning was valid.

Disappointingly enough, as I turned around toward Victoria, I did not see red. Or any other color, really. All those books had lied. What I do remember is Victoria coming into sharp focus within my vision. It was like she was moving in slow motion under a magnifying glass. And that was how I managed to see that almost imperceptible flash of fear in her evil cat-like eyes. She saw something in me the very moment before I pushed her inside her room and locked the door behind us. It made me feel so badass that I wanted to say, "you want me to be the bad guy? Fine, now I'm the bad guy." I did not, though. Right in that moment I was too focused on getting back at the princess of Blackwell to have said anything that awesome. I would have to tell Chloe afterward, though. She was going to love it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Stay away from me, you crazy bitch!"

Fuck yeah she had reason to be all worried about me. I was right in her face, moving forward without giving an inch back and staring her down, like those hardcore cops in the movies of old. Chloe would later interrupt me right in the middle of my epic tale of combat prowess, and ask me how was it that I was staring Victoria Chase down if she is taller than me, but that was beside the point. It is just an expression, damn it. The point was that she was backing away from me, and it felt hella awesome.

Victoria fell on her bed, which was not my intention at all. This part I would not tell Chloe. I could not. She had enough on her plate already. Anyway, as soon as Victoria touched the mattress, she covered her face with her arms, like I was going to hit her or something. That was the moment I could pinpoint where something inside of me broke. There was no other word for what happened because it made no sense otherwise. What I was about to do I would never do again. Hell, I would never even feel like doing it again. It was one of those one-time only things that you feel in the moment and never again. Perhaps due to multiple specific things converging, along with the planets aligning, but no matter the reason, it would never even cross my mind again.

When I saw Victoria like that, defeated and vulnerable, just like the surge of anger that had burned its way to my head like a ball of fire, a surge of something else overcame me. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to ease away the fear she was feeling right now, and every fear she had felt up to this point. Right then, I wanted to make sure that this girl, who had been a bitch to me through my entire stay in Blackwell Academy, would never have to feel insecure about anything. And, since something had just broken inside of my head, I did.

She struggled when I tried to pull her arms away from her face, and I had to fight her until I managed to pin her wrists against the bed with my hands. Not an easy task, considering that big ass bracelet she wears in one of them. There was a spark of fury in her eyes as she stared at me with indignation. At this point, things could have still gone either way. I could have simply threatened her and left her there, dumped on the bed to do some much needed introspection. Also, calling her _fucking Victoria Maribeth fucking Chase_ would have been awesome. Or, on the other hand, I could have gone through with my newfound feelings of protection toward her. Admittedly, since she had always been a catty bitch to me, that was very unlikely. At least until I saw her eyes welling up with tears. That was the tipping point.

"I am going to kiss you now, ok?" The words were out of my mouth before my brain could catch up. However, when I saw her eyes widen, but did not hear a single peep come out of her lips, I knew I had said the right thing.

As I leaned forward, I noticed that Victoria began closing her eyes. For every inch I advanced, her lids fell just a little more until they were completely closed. She was so into this! Then, there was contact. Inexplicably, it was completely different to what I felt when I kissed Chloe. Both physically and emotionally. How was it physically different if practically all lips are the same, I could not tell. Hell, even after going at it time after time in my head, I never did come up with a good explanation, I just knew that it felt different. My love toward Chloe was the only conclusion. Not very logical, but, since when are feelings logical anyway?

Victoria's lips were slightly cool, soft, and just a little sticky from her lipstick. It began like those chaste kisses you might give out in elementary school, Victoria being the party that resists the contact by simply keeping her lips sealed, but she gave up almost instantly and parted them slightly. When I felt her yielding to me, I gently suckled on her lower lip, then on her upper one, and then, I kissed her fully.

I moved back after a bit, and she immediately licked her lips. Her eyes were still closed. She was so into it!

"Can I let you go now?" I asked, tired of supporting my own weight with my arms spread so far apart.

Under me, Victoria nodded almost imperceptibly, and I proceeded to slide my hands along her arms. Her skin was silky smooth… I retracted that thought almost as soon as it crossed my mind. Victoria's skin was smoother than silk. It was no doubt thanks to her probably owning every expensive lotion invented by man, but, since I was the one enjoying it, I was not about to voice any complaints about it. Besides, it would have killed the mood horribly. She already thought I was enough of a dork as it was.

Once my hands were free, I combed her bangs back.

"You have a pretty forehead," I said before leaning in to kiss it.

A slight smile curved her lips. Spurred on by that unknowable compassion from before, I tenderly placed my lips on her left eyelid, then, did the same to her right eyelid.

"You are pretty," I honestly declared as I caressed her face with my fingertips.

Almost of its own volition, my hand slid down to her neck. All the while, my thumb stayed on her cheek, drawing shapeless figures. I could imagine models fighting to have Victoria's elegant neck, or the sensual curves on both sides that joined it to the proud set of her shoulders. To me, it was almost unfathomable that such a creature could be insecure about herself.

When I leaned in again, Victoria reached out and ran her delicate fingers along the side of my face. Then, she craned her neck and lifted her head to meet my lips. This time, she was not passive. This time, she responded my attention with a fire I had only seen in her photographs. After that, everything became a blur.

Well… It actually did not become so blurry that I cannot put it in pretty clear words, but I am keeping the sordid details to myself. Until I die, in fact.

Suffice it to say that the next day Victoria did her pixie with the bangs slightly swept back, effectively displaying more of her forehead to the world.

 **FIN**


End file.
